True Life: I'm A YouTube Star

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When 18-year-old Bethany Mota makes a public appearance these days, she's greeted like she's Miley Cyrus or Justin Bieber, with mobs of screaming teenage fans and their mothers surrounding her. Mota, however, is not a pop star or an actress (at least, not yet)—she's a YouTube sensation.

At the moment, the self-proclaimed "lifestyle guru" has close to 5.6 million subscribers to her YouTube channel (that's more than Lady Gaga), over 2.5 million Instagram followers, and 1.27 million Twitter followers. What exactly does she do? "I make videos about hair, makeup, fashion, DIY projects, and basically anything that I love. I hope my channel can put a smile on your face and give you some cool ideas," she says in her 'About' section of her Youtube channel.

It's a fairly general, simple mission, (and not all that unique in this day and age), but Ms. Mota seems to have a particularly special knack for it all. We caught up with the social media phenomenon from California, who just recently debuted a collection with Aeropostale, to find out how she does it, get her social media tips, and more.

How did this all start?

I started my YouTube channel when I was 13. At the time, I was being bullied by a few people who I used to be very close to. I felt very alone and unmotivated. After discovering the beauty community I decided it would be a great way to express myself and use it as an outlet to be who I am.

How have you attracted so many fans?

I've always tried my hardest to make great content for my audience to watch, and I also love connecting with them. I don't just post a video and then get offline. After uploading, I love to respond to comments, tweets, and messages about the video. Interacting with my viewers is very important to me.

What are some of your best tips for building your social media presence?

Keep things positive, update all of your social media accounts as much as you can, engage with your followers, collaborate with other people, and most of all, have fun with it!

You just did a collaboration with Aeropostale. What's next for you?

As of right now, I'm very focused on designing new styles for my clothing line at Aero, and of course, working on new videos.

How does it feel to suddenly be treated like you're a rock star?

I am so thankful for the support of my viewers. They are the reason that I keep uploading videos and they continue to inspire me every day. Seeing them get super excited and emotional at meet-ups is the most amazing feeling ever.